Monday, October 14, 2013

The Art of the Japanese Chrysanthemum at the New York Botanical Garden in the Bronx

T he Art of the Japanese Chrysanthemum exhibition is back at the New York Botanical Garden. This year's display at the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory features hundreds of large chrysanthemums coaxed from a single stem and precisely arrayed in serried ranks; countless tiny chrysanthemums, shaped into bright cascades suspended from wire armatures; anemone-form chrysanthemums twisted around a piece of wood in a reinterpretation of bonsai. The kiku, (chrysanthemum’s Japanese name), is the central image in the imperial seal and the symbol of Japan’s monarchy, traditionally referred to as the chrysanthemum throne. It is the most revered flower in Japan. The exhibit continues through Oct. 27.